Everyone’s favourite path runner is again once more with a brand new replace. Altra Lone Peaks are constantly the most well-liked shoe on the Appalachian Path, and a typical sight on each different lengthy distance path in North America. In case you’re not a convert already, this evaluation will discover a number of the causes the Lone Peaks are so common, earlier than transferring onto the variations between final yr’s version and the 8s.
Altra Lone Peak 8 At a Look
MSRP: $140
Weight (Pair): 18.3 oz girls’s | 21.4 oz males’s
Cushioning: Reasonable
Heel-Toe Drop: 0mm
Males’s Lone Peak right here
Circumstances of Evaluation
I used the Lone Peak 8s on hikes, backpacks, and runs in sloppy spring situations. I’ve put over 10,000 miles on numerous variations of Lone Peaks since 2016.
Meant Use
The Lone Peaks are designed for path operating, climbing, and thru-hiking.
MaxTrac Outsole: okay in mud, meh on ice and moist rock.
Altra Lone Peak 8 Options
Zero drop: Most footwear increase your heel above your toes, making a “drop” of a number of millimeters. Zero drop footwear are flat, with no distinction between the peak of your heel and toes. That is supposed to assist strengthen leg and ft muscle tissue, and promote a extra pure foot place. There’s been a great quantity of debate in regards to the topic: personally I don’t really feel a lot totally different when switching between zero drop and common footwear. Nevertheless, some hikers swear by zero drop footwear, and take into account this the primary cause to purchase Lone Peaks.
Large Toe Field: The actual cause I really like Lone Peaks is the form of the shoe, not zero drop. Further room within the entrance of the shoe provides room on your toes to unfold out- particularly useful when your ft swell within the first few days of a thru-hike, or throughout hotter climate. Lone Peaks are sometimes really useful as a treatment for blisters on lengthy trails as a result of there’s a lot area on your ft.
Gaiter lure: I at all times thru-hike with gaiters. The Lone Peaks include a velcro tab on the again which is designed to seize the velcro on the within of operating gaiters. In case your footwear don’t include this, you must fiddle with superglue to attempt to connect velcro to your shoe (and it invariably falls off mid thru-hike). I respect Altra including this small contact to cater to gaiter customers.
MaxTrac Outsole: The Maxtrac outsole isn’t up to date an excessive amount of from the 7s. It continues to offer pretty common grip. The lug sample and outsole is okay for many path climbing, and is OK on moist leaves and dust. I do discover myself taking additional time on moist rocks and ice, since I don’t at all times belief the grip.
Gaiter lure is unbelievable in the event you put on gaiters
What’s modified between the Lone Peak 7 and the Lone Peak 8?
The brief reply isn’t a lot. It really took an in depth inspection to find out that Altra had despatched me the 8s somewhat than the 7s. That is nice: the 7s have been one of the best model of the Lone Peaks for a very long time, and it’s good that Altra didn’t mess an excessive amount of with a profitable mixture.
I discovered the sizing to be the identical between the 7s and the 8s. No must measurement up or down in the event you’ve already discovered your excellent Lone Peak sizing.
8s (darkish blue/pink) vs 7s (Purple and orange)
Altra claims that the ripstop mesh higher has been up to date, however the variations are minuscule. That is good: I abused my 7s on 160km of fully off path bushwhacking final summer season, and the primary failure level was the place the mesh higher met the froth cushioning on the aspect of the shoe, somewhat than the mesh itself ripping. I’m glad I’ll have the ability to belief the 8s underneath comparable path situations this summer season.
My one large grievance with the 7s was that they had been difficult to placed on, particularly when frozen or when my ft had been swollen. The 8s clear up this downside with a redesigned loop on the heel. It’s nonetheless not excellent, nevertheless it’s rather a lot higher than the 7s. The gaiter lure can also be larger- though there was no problem with the scale of the velcro on the 7s, so this simply provides a tiny quantity of pointless weight.
The largest change is the redesigned rear of the shoe
Lone Peak 8 Execs
Large Toe Field: This evaluation touched on this earlier, however the broad toe field is 100% the explanation I purchase Altras. Lone Peaks are a number of the most snug path runners I’ve ever used. I’ve far fewer blisters and different foot issues on account of the foot form. It’s laborious to change to some other path runner as a result of they simply aren’t as snug as Altras.
Ripstop Mesh Higher: The ripstop mesh higher retains getting higher and higher on the Lone Peaks. It’s getting tougher and tougher to shred the tops of your footwear, even on loopy off-trail bushwhacking routes. Everybody’s footwear will put on out in another way primarily based on totally different gait patterns, however I discover that my Lone Peaks now fail the place the higher attaches to the sole- the higher itself can deal with virtually something I throw at it.
Fast Dry: Lone Peaks dry shortly even underneath chilly or moist situations. I’m by no means apprehensive about having to dry my footwear even on trails with a number of river crossings. The roomy toe field means I don’t get blisters even when my ft are moist. Moist ft are by no means nice, nevertheless it’s a bit extra bearable in Lone Peaks.
Simpler to placed on than the 7s
Lone Peak 8 Cons
Sturdiness: Lone Peaks will not be as sturdy as boots, and even another path runners. It’s annoying to have to exchange them a number of occasions throughout even a shorter thru-hike. Whereas they’ve improved tremendously for the reason that first variations which solely lasted just a few hundred miles (and the terrible 6s the place I went via an unbelievable 3 pairs in simply 800 miles), there’s nonetheless room for enchancment.
Get Moist Quick: Positive, Lone Peaks dry quick. However generally these footwear really feel like they really attempt to take in water. I walked about 400 meters between my tent and the automotive in melty snow this spring within the 8s, and acquired to take pleasure in moist ft for the whole journey residence. Embracing moist ft is a part of some thru-hikes (Nice Divide Path north of Jasper, I’m speaking about you), however it will be good if I didn’t get moist ft the moment I have a look at a puddle.
Moist snow means moist ft
Adjustment Interval: Altra recommends taking as much as three weeks to regulate to “Balanced Cushioning” (their time period for zero drop), steadily rising the quantity you put on your footwear. This doesn’t work for thru-hikers who change to this type on path, since nobody is carrying two pairs of footwear.
Whereas I had no issues switching to Altras at mile 600 of the PCT with out an adjustment interval, your mileage could differ. Fear about adjusting to zero drop could postpone some hikers from switching to Lone Peaks mid-hike.
Total
The Altra Lone Peak 8 is a stable model of everybody’s favourite path runner. In case you preferred the 7s, you’ll like these. I’ll proceed to make use of the 8s on my thru-hike this summer season. I’ll most likely even purchase a pair additional pairs to stockpile in case the 9s aren’t pretty much as good.
Store the Girls’s Altra Lone Peak 8
Store the Males’s Altra Lone Peak 8
Comparable Footwear
Topo Ultraventure Males’s | Girls’s
MSRP: $150
Heel-Toe Drop: 5mm
Weight (Pair): 20.8 oz males’s | 16.6 oz girls’s
HOKA Speedgoat 5 Males’s | Girls’s
MSRP: $155
Heel-Toe Drop: 4mm
Weight (Pair): 20.6 oz males’s | 17 oz girls’s
The Altra Lone Peak 8 was donated for function of evaluation.
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